Port Blair

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Port Blair is capital and largest city of the Andaman and Nicobar island group, with a population of around 100,000.

[edit] Get in

[edit] By air

For now the only way to reach the Andamans by air is from the Indian mainland. There are talks of opening up flights from Bangkok, which could drastically change the situation in the islands.

  • Kingfisher Airlines [1] fly from Kolkata and Chennai. They are the most luxurious way to get to the islands.
  • Air Deccan [2] started daily flights in March 2006 from Kolkata and Chennai and, along with SpiceJet, is the cheapest way to get to the islands. Fares from Rs.3000 (plus Rs.2025 tax) one way.
  • Jet Airways [3] fly from Kolkata and Chennai. They charge a much higher rate for foreigners than Indian residents.
  • Indian Airlines [4] fly from Kolkata and Chennai. They charge a much higher rate for foreigners than Indian residents.
  • SpiceJet [6] offers flights from Kolkata and Chennai to Port Blair. Spice Jet is a low-cost airline. Fares from Rs.3700 (Kolkata) / Rs.2500 (Chennai) one way, plus tax (fixed Rs.2025 per segment).

With Air Deccan or SpiceJet, return ticket from Kolkata to Port Blair will cost you about US$300-350 (as of Jan 2008), or maybe even less if flying from/to Chennai. Not really "low-cost", if compared to the same airlines' mainland India fiights, but still cheaper than any other way to get to islands. Price varies significantly with date, so if your travel dates aren't fixed, you can save significantly by choosing the right day to fly. Advance booking (available on respective airline's website) at least several days before trip is recommended. There is no difference in price between return ticket and 2 one-way tickets, so you easily can combine different airlines and/or points of origin and destination in you trip. With non-budget airlines, the trip will cost you US$450-700. Caution: check flight availability with Air Deccan via their website first. Their operating calendar ends on March 28th, 2008. If traveling after this date, you need to check with them or wait until they update their calendar and flight schedule.

  • Helicopters used to run from Little Andaman once per week but were grounded after it was ravaged by the tsunami. Check with Air Deccan to see if they've started up a new service.

[edit] By sea

It is still possible to take a ship from Kolkata, Chennai or Visakhapatnam which takes almost 4 days to arrive in Port Blair. However, with the arrival of the Air Deccan flights that allow foreigners to fly for the same rate as Indians, and cost about the same as the boat, there is little reason to spend 4 days at sea unless you're in it for the experience. Apparently at the same time of the new flights arriving the ship operators stopped letting foreigners into the most basic budget class, which would actually make this more expensive than flying.

Various ferries run between area islands:

[edit] Tour operators

  • St. Jude Travels & tours, [7]. Offices located in Goalghar. Is a Govt. of India recognized Tour Operator and an IATA Accreditated Ticketing Agent.

[edit] Get around

  • Walking is a good option - Port Blair is a fairly small town .
  • Auto-rickshaws are abundant, and within town should cost Rs 20-40 (bargaining is usually necessary)
  • Local buses are also an option.
  • Scooters & motorcycles are available for hire from a few shops around MA Rd. Ask around, and also try your hotel.
  • Private hire cars are also available for local sightseeing around Port Blair and South Andaman.
  • Boats are available to destinations like Ross Island. You can also pay the local fishermen to take you on day trips to mangrove creeks (Bridget Creek is nice) or places like Mt Harriet National Park (where you can beach your boat and go birdwatching). Don't pay more than Rs 2000/day for the boat, and you can often bargain it down to much less. Be sure to check with the Forest Dept before heading out, as many destinations require certain permissions.

[edit][add listing] See

  • Central Agricultural Research Institute (CARI) - It is about four kms away from Airport. CARI Scientists are conducting research on different aspects of Island Agriculture. Landscaping of CARI is very beautiful and it is worth seeing. Here you can see farms of different livestocks and poultry viz. Cattle, Pig, Goat, Rabbit, Turkey, Quail, Guinea Fowl, Duck, Fisheries Ponds, Integrated Farming System model etc and fodder blocks as well.
  • Corbyn's Cove - an ok beach, and the closest to Port Blair, popular with locals for swimming and watching the sun set.
  • Cellular Jail - a British built jail, come here for a taste of what was suffered under colonialism. You can witness Light and Sound Show also in the evening (Both in Hindi and English). Closed on Mondays.
  • Mini Zoo - A small zoo containing some species only found on the islands. Very shortly it is going to be shifted to its new place at Chidiya Tapu.

[edit][add listing] Buy

  • Jewelry, wood-carvings and Port Blair t-shirts are available around Aberdeen Bazaar.

[edit][add listing] Eat

  • Lighthouse Residency, MA Rd (near Aberdeen Bazaar). A somewhat nice restaurant with good food and very popular with travelers, not least because they have a bar. Indian, Thai & Chinese. Rs 50-150.
  • New India Cafe, MA Rd, (near Jagannath Guesthouse). A cheap, local eatery, great if you're on a budget. Thalis available.
  • Icy Spicy An excellent restaurant/Cafe with a wide range of vegetarian food. Perhaps the best vege food in town at any price. Inexpensive
  • Mandalay Restaurant, Fortune Resort, Marine Hill. The Fortune Resort restaurant but caters to non-guests. Not cheap but the food is quite good, the location peaceful, and the view is excellent. Does a good buffet for breakfast at about Rs 250.

[edit][add listing] Drink

[edit][add listing] Sleep

[edit] Budget

  • Youth Hostel, Aberdeen bazaar, +91 (0) 3192 232 459. Dorms Rs 50, rooms Rs 100.
  • Central Lodge, Link Rd, +91 (0) 3192 233 632. Very basic but some rooms have nice character... and some are dank, so look at a couple if possible. Very popular with budget backpackers and those that haven't left India since they came in 1964. Rs 80-120.
  • Jagannath Guesthouse, MA Rd, +91 (0) 3192 232 148. Very basic but popular with locals and travelers. Some rooms may stretch the definition of "clean". Rs 200-500.

[edit] Mid-range

  • Hotel City King Palace, +91 99332 52389, +91 (0) 3192 233320. Rooms are neat and air-conditioned. Rs 1000-1200.
  • Shompen Hotel. Neat a/c rooms. Rs 1000-2000.

[edit] Splurge

  • Fortune Resort, Marine Hill, +91 (0) 3192 234 101, [8]. The nicest hotel in Port Blair with great sea views. Has a bar and a restaurant. US$70-170, credit cards accepted. Note that locally this hotel is known mainly as "Bay Island" and asking rickshaw drivers to take you to "Fortune Resort" often results in confusion.

[edit] Get out

  • Baratang Island - It is about 90 kms away from Port Blair. Regular bus services are available from STS Bus Terminal, Aberdeen Bazar. Journey takes about 2 hrs and 30 minutes from Port Blair to Middle Strait and the fare is just Rs. 45. From Nilambur Jetty at middle strait ferry services are available for Baratang Island. Ferry fare is only Rs. 3/- and it takes about 15 minutes to reach Baratang from Nilambur Jetty. At Baratang you can see Mud Valcano which is about 4 km away from the jetty. To reach there you can hire a shared taxi @ Rs. 20/- per head to and fro. From Baratang, regular boat services are available for Limestone Caves. These ancient caves are located about 50 minutes (by sea) away from Baratang Jetty. The fare of boat is Rs. 200/- per head for both ways. It includes speed boat fare also which is required to reach Limestone Caves. Another must-see attraction is the Parrot Island. The experience at Parrot Island at sunset, when all the parrots are returning home is indeed a mesmerizing experience. For this a night's stay is required at Baratang. The only Resort available is DEW DALE Resorts which is situated on the ATR and is 6kms from the jetty.
  • Barren Island is a volcano island and the only volcano in India. Day trips can be arranged from Port Blair. No additional permit is required to visit the island, however it is not possible to set foot on the island, only to view it from the boat.
  • Chiriya Tapu - a small fishing village with good snorkeling, located at the southern tip of South Andaman. Buses run several times per day from Port Blair and take 1.5 hours, or rent a scooter and drive yourself. The best snorkeling is at a beach about 2km south.
  • Ross Island - once the capital under British rule, it was moved to Port Blair after a 1940's earthquake. A great 1/2 day side trip from Port Blair.

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